Profile
Undoubtedly Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketer, the world’s leading wicket-taker in both Tests and one-dayers, Murali is the only member of the 1996 World Cup-winning side still active on the international circuit. He might even play one of the matches of the 2011 World Cup in a stadium named after him – there is a proposal to call the new ground in Pallekele the Muttiah Muralitharan international stadium. Capable of turning the ball big on any surface, allied with a doosra many batsmen struggle to pick and a topspinner, he remains a huge threat even at 38. Despite his stupendous feats and the ever-present joyous smile, a deformed elbow coupled with extraordinarily supple wrists have led to doubts being cast over his action right through his career, though he has been officially cleared several times.Strengths
A gargantuan offspinner, a doosra deployed usually from round the wicket, vastly experienced on the big stage, immaculate controlKey stats

Muralitharan has picked up 53 wickets in World Cups, which is third in the list of highest wicket takers in World Cup history

Since the beginning of 2009 Muralitharan has 29 wickets at an average of 32.44 and economy rate of 4.76, well higher than his career average of 23.18 and economy rate of 3.92

All stats are updated till the start of the World CupWorld Cup tracker
This will be Murali’s fifth World Cup. He had a quiet time with the ball when Sri Lanka won in 1996, and was anonymous in the disastrous 1999 campaign as well. He had a better time in 2003, bagging 17 wickets to help Sri Lanka make the semi-finals, and his best tournament was in 2007, where 23 wickets piloted Sri Lanka to the final.